Jian Yuanshan smiled, turned his head to look at Zhou Xuan, and asked, "Brother, what do you think of the barnyard grass?"
Zhou Xuan didn't care and nodded, saying, "Okay, it's Kenhong, recommended by Lao Zai's friend. Then it's settled!" After saying that, he took out a special invoice book from his inner pocket, looked at Yang Zhongjun, and said, "Mr. Yang, how much is the service fee? Hehe, how much should I pay you now?"
Yang Zhongjun was taken aback. He had heard Fu Yuanshan mention the opening of his eighth brother's shop when he arrived. Now, seeing Zhou Xuan's expression, he couldn't quite figure out the true relationship between him and Fu Yuanshan. As soon as Zhou Xuan spoke, he glanced at Fu Yuanshan.
If this person only had a normal relationship with Fu Yuanshan, then Fu Yuanshan would have been able to help him. These people, though very famous, were all contracted employees of his company, still under contract, meaning all business dealings were with the company. If Zhou Xuan didn't have a special relationship with Fu Yuanshan, then he could collect a large sum of money. Yuan Li's appearance fee reached one million, while Wang Ziqi and Tang Xun each received six hundred thousand. Money isn't worth much these days, and appearance fees have skyrocketed. Even just a brief appearance by one of the top stars in the country would cost two or three million!
Fu Yuanshan understood Yang Zhongjun's words, glanced at Yang Zhongjun's fingers and gently tapped them on the table, then said indifferently, "Old Yang, I think this is the first time I've mentioned this kind of thing to you."
Yang Zhongjun was taken aback, then put on a smile and said to Zhou Funuo, "Hehe, I won't say any more. Sir, what's your name?"
Upon hearing Fu Yuanshan's words, Yang Zhongjun's heart sank. Although Fu Yuanshan's words were spoken calmly, they were subtly criticizing Yang Zhongjun for his poor judgment of people and situations.
He secretly glanced at Zhou Xuan again. The seat he was sitting in was quite lavish. How old was he? But Fu Yuanshan treated him like a brother or father. How could he have been so foolish? When they arrived, Fu Yuanshan had clearly stated it was his brother's shop.
Zhou Xuan hadn't thought that far ahead. He wasn't going to put on airs by pulling out his checkbook. Although Fu Yuanshan had introduced him to a friend, he still had to give what he was owed. He didn't want to put his friend in a difficult position because he didn't have the money, and he didn't want to embarrass Fu Yuanshan over such a trivial matter.
"My surname is Zhou, and my given name is Zhou Xuan. I had nothing to do, so I opened a small shop to earn some extra money. It will open tomorrow! Thank you for your help, Mr. Yang!" Zhou Fu stood up politely, handed over the ticket book, and then shook hands with Yang Zhongjun.
Yang Zhongjun, with a forced smile, quickly said, "How could it be troublesome? You're Fu Mu's younger brother, it's only right that I help. Don't even mention money; that would be too presumptuous. Little Zhou, don't worry, tomorrow. You set a time, and I'll make sure someone comes in a respectable manner."
Seeing Yang Zhongjun's enthusiastic manner, Zhou Xuan felt embarrassed to simply cut out the old ticket book and read the guest's words. Anyone could say that, right? Ultimately, it's better to pay. So, after paying, he looked at Fu Yuanshan.
How could Fu Yuanshan not know? If Yang Zhongjun wanted money, why would he have asked Yang Jinjun for it? He didn't speak to Yang Zhongjun, but simply said to Zhou Xuan, "Brother, Yang Gao and I still have some connections. Just listen to his arrangements. You don't need to worry about anything else. If you pay money, wouldn't that be slapping your older brother in the face?"
"Yes, yes, Brother Zhou, say no more. Fu Nong is like a close relative to me. If you're his brother, then you're my brother. To ask Pei Ying to curse you is to slap him in the face. Let's not say anything more, don't add anything."
Yang Zhongjun quickly spoke up, understanding the obvious meaning behind Fu Yuanshan's words: if Yang Zhongjun were to accept this money, he would be blind. He hurriedly continued speaking while simultaneously assessing Zhou Xuan's identity. Judging from Fu Yuanshan's treatment of him, Zhou Xuan was definitely not Fu Yuanshan's nephew. If Zhou Xuan were his own brother, Fu Yuanshan wouldn't have such a cautious expression. He was merely a brother being cared for, but there was no need to treat him like a superior or ancestor. This alone indicated that Zhou Xuan was no ordinary person. His identity was far more than just what Fu Yuanshan claimed—a small shop run in his spare time to earn a living!
Although Yang Zhongjun understood, the three men he brought with him didn't, especially Yuan Li, who clearly looked down on Zhou Xuan. If it weren't for the fact that the boss was being so affectionate with Fu Yuanshan, gossip would have already spread far and wide; they had to at least keep quiet.
That's how people are. When they're not famous, they can endure any hardship or suffering. But once they become famous, they start to feel superior and think they're above everyone else, and they have to consider whether something is worthy of their status.
Yuan Li looked at Zhou Xuan and saw that he truly didn't care. Zhou Xuan casually pulled out a checkbook to show off, yet knowing full well that President Yang wouldn't accept it, he still insisted on putting on airs. What was he pretending for? He was just a country bumpkin, at best a nouveau riche. Why would someone open some run-down old shop and still want to hire him? Was he worthy? President Yang, for some reason, treated this kind of person like a nobody, fawning over him. He was becoming increasingly low-class. Yuan Li recalled the private offer from Ya Hongying Company to poach him. He said he was considering it, but actually, he was tempted. Of course, what tempted him was the offer; under those conditions, his income would at least double. After all, who doesn't strive for a better life?
Wang Ziqing and Lan Yin didn't care much, mainly because of their feelings. As enthusiastic newcomers, they were used to being cheered and applauded wherever they went. Before the interview, the boss said they were important friends, but when they arrived, they felt they were just ordinary people. Moreover, these two seemed to have no enthusiasm for them at all. They felt that they didn't like people who weren't enthusiastic towards them, guessing that they were just country bumpkins from the countryside who had never seen the world and didn't know their fame.
Today's society is an economic society, where achievement and status are measured by money.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Fu Yuanshan beckoned to the waitress Zhao Zhaofeng and said, "Waitress, bring me the menu."
After the menu was handed to him, Fu Yuanshan glanced at it, then handed it to Zhou Fu with a smile, saying, "Brother, you order!"
Zhou Xuan didn't stand on ceremony. He took the menu, flipped it open, and ordered mostly vegetables, water spinach, cucumber, bitter melon, and the like. Then he looked at the back and finally saw the special dishes: braised chicken with potatoes and freshwater fish. But the prices for these two were a bit unusual. The braised chicken with potatoes was listed at 160 yuan per catty, and the freshwater fish at 81 yuan per catty.
Zhou Xuan was somewhat surprised and asked, "Are the vegetables here all grown by yourself, green vegetables?"
The waiter nodded and replied, "Yes, this farm has land that Boss Yidu Fang contracted! He hired workers to make it, and it doesn't use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. It's Yiyuquan Green Flag Food."
"Then what about this free-range chicken? How come it's so expensive? 160 yuan a jin? That's outrageous!" Zhou Fu asked again. Of course, for him, 160 yuan a jin of chicken wasn't a lot of money, but he also knew that in the vegetable markets of Beijing, many varieties of chicken cost 70 or 80 yuan, and the cheapest was only a dozen yuan, but a chicken costing 160 yuan a jin...
Zhou Xuan asked the question casually, but Yuan Li and the two female celebrities found Zhou Fu's behavior even more disgusting. He was a complete country bumpkin who had never seen the world. He thought that chicken costing 160 yuan a pound was too ordinary, so what about shark fin and bird's nest? Wouldn't that make him dumbfounded?
The waitress answered very seriously, "Mr. Jing, it's like this. Our chickens are raised by ourselves; they're purebred, free-range chickens from a farm, never fed any feed. Each one can only be raised to about three pounds, so they're a bit more expensive than other chickens."
"Alright, alright, it'll be a bit pricey then." Zhou Xuan smiled and waved his hand, then said, "Then," after looking at the number of people, he continued, "Then let's make five jin of bread, and we'll add more if that's not enough."
Aside from Yang Zhongjun and Fu Yuanshan, who didn't think Zhou Fu's words were vulgar, Yuan Li and the two women all thought Zhou Xuan was too unsophisticated. Ordering simple vegetables, and even asking for five jin of chicken (which costs around 100 yuan per jin) – and more if that wasn't enough – was incredibly tacky. They thought that when wealthy businessmen and celebrities treated them to a meal, they'd easily spend 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. Look at this place! Why not go to any of the restaurants or hotels in the city? Why come all this way to such a remote place to eat?
During the meal, Zhou Xuan, Fu Yuanshan, and Yang Zhongjun chatted happily. Only Yuan Li, Wang Ziqing, and Gua Yin were unhappy and didn't touch their chopsticks, enduring it out of consideration for Yang Zhongjun.
Zhou Xuan didn't pay much attention. Some people are naturally polite, and most girls are shy, so they might feel embarrassed to eat.
The meal took over an hour. Seeing Yuan Liyi's extremely impatient expression, Zhou Xuan felt a little embarrassed and waved to the waiter, saying, "Let's settle the bill." These people were busy filming and earning money. Time was naturally tight. He would be keeping them waiting again tomorrow, and he didn't want to make them stay any longer, so he decided to send them home as soon as possible.
The waiter brought over the receipt and handed it to Zhou Shang, saying, "Jing Gan Yi Yi, a total of one thousand and one nineteen!"
Zhou Xuan took out his wallet to get the money. Fu Yuanshan reached out and pressed him down, calculating slightly, "Brother, it wouldn't be right for you to pay. Let me do it, when Old Beast Wu gets promoted, that's Li He."
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Then I should be the one to celebrate. It's not that much. Why are you arguing with me over a thousand or eight hundred? If it's more than ten thousand, hehe, then I won't judge and you can do it."
Of course, this was a joke. Fu Yuanshan naturally understood Zhou Fu's meaninglessness. He didn't want to talk about money with Zhou Fu; when it came to money, there weren't many in the capital more ruthless than him. He was the type who wouldn't beg for money unless he was incredibly ruthless. Since Zhou Fu had said that, Fu Yuanshan decided not to argue with him anymore; it didn't matter who gave the money.
Zhou Xuan opened his wallet and was taken aback. There were only three or four hundred yuan in cash. He immediately took out his bank card and handed it to the waitress.
But the waitress wouldn't accept it! She bowed respectfully and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Jing, we don't accept cards here!" (To be continued by Bi Shan)
Volume 1, Chapter 319
Zhou Fu seemed a little embarrassed and said, "I'm sorry, you have too much cash and can't pay by card, then..." He hesitated for a moment and then said, "Then come with me to the city to withdraw money, and I'll pay you the rest of the fare after we get the money!"
The waitress, of course, wouldn't agree, but he still tried to reason with Fu Woshan, saying, "Brother, if you don't have cash, I'll pay."
But when Yuanshan took out his wallet and opened it, he was embarrassed to find that he had less gold than Zhou Fu, but he did have a few bank cards!
Fu Yuanshan was even worse than Zhou Xuan. He spent all his time in public places, where he didn't have to pay for anything—food, drink, or even his personal necessities. He also had a chauffeur-driven car. Even if he went out for a meal or drinks, plenty of people would vie to pay the bill, so he never had to pay out of his own pocket. Therefore, he had absolutely no concept of money. Only when he really needed money did he realize he was completely broke!
As a result, Yuan Li and the two female celebrities looked down on Zhou Fu and Fu Mangshan even more, thinking they looked like two country bumpkins trying to scam people out of food and drink.
This was, of course, partly because Yang Zhongjun hadn't revealed Fu Woshan's identity to them, only saying he was an important friend. However, a business tycoon like Yang Zhongjun would certainly not disclose his private relationships to his artists.
The scene paused for a moment, and Yang Zhongjun quickly took out his wallet, only to find it even more embarrassing, as he hadn't brought his wallet with him!
People like them are naturally not people who worry about money; they don't have that concept of whether or not to bring money.
Fu Yuanshan immediately waved to the waitress and said, "Tell your boss to put it on my tab, I'll give it to him later!"
The waitress initially wanted to refuse, thinking that this restaurant never charged bills. But then she remembered that the owner had instructed her to treat this guest in this room well and not to neglect him. Thinking this, she immediately whispered to Fu Yuanshan, "Please wait a moment while I tell the boss."